Grey Vetiver (2009)
by Tom Ford

Perfect office/formal fragrance. Really clean, soapy, 'out of the shower' vibes, but still masculine. Subtle fragrance, but longevity is still pretty great on my skin.

I've been sitting on this review for quite a while. I don't get a lot from Grey Vetiver. Bright citric opening and bare minimum vetiver drydown. This is the club soda of fragrances. Even if it is the best club soda, I hate club soda. Thumbs down.

This is the best Vetiver cologne I have tried so far with one exception which is an aftershave so technically this holds the title.
I came to this one because the best ever is Fine Fresh Vetiver Aftershave by Fine Accoutrements. FA clones well known fragrances and sells them as aftershaves. EG FA platinum is almost identical to Creed Aventus. Green Vetiver = Guerlain Vetiver.
I love Fine Fresh Vetiver as it is fresh clean and masculine without any of that dampness you find with most vetivers. Tom Ford Grey Vetiver is almost i-d-e-n-t-c-a-l on opening just a touch less fresh then hovers and settles on the fresh side of Guelrain's Vetiver Extreme which is the best of Guerlain's variants. TF is therefore the most wearable one yet unless you want keep on splashing FA FFV every hour throughout the day. Why they can't do a cologne is beyond me.As for comparisons to Roja Dover Vetiver Parfum Pour Homme then don't even go there. Roja has more depth, longevity, woodiness and class. Tom Ford is great for the price but Roja is the pinnacle.

Fragrance : 7.5-8.5 (the latter is the opening) FA FFV gets 8.75 for all the half hour it lasts.
Projection: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10

I believe that this fragrance is quite aptly named, not so much because it could be a combination of Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene (1975) and vetiver, but because it is vetiver presented in a grey, drab version. That sounds a bit harsh, and I don't mean it as a knock against Grey Vetiver, but this fragrance could have been called Office Vetiver or Lobotomized Vetiver, and it still would seem aptly named to me.

The reason for this, at least for me, is because this is a very subdued vetiver, and coming from Tom Ford, that's a bit of a surprise. Ford is not someone I think of as putting out "restrained" scents; think M7 (2002), Gucci pour Homme (2003), Black Orchid (2006), etc. I think of vetiver and go to classics like Guerlain Vetiver (1961), which I love, and which has an upfront, clean "bouquet" that is very noticeable and tasteful without feeling restrained. Grey Vetiver doesn't have that strong presence. It is impeccably done, and is one of those scents that is like one of the groomsmen in the wedding party; well-dressed, plays his part well, but isn't who you're focusing your attention on. This is a good vetiver to wear at a spring funeral. It's vetiver done well, but made to not draw attention or offend.

So, is it good? Absolutely. Although it may sound like I've been dispraising Grey Vetiver, that's not the case at all. Harry Fremont did a great job with this. The only criticism that I have is that the projection and longevity of this are mediocre, and Grey Vetiver is not inexpensive. This is most certainly a try before you buy, but only because of the price. If you like vetiver, you most assuredly will like this, so the only question will be whether you think this presentation of vetiver is worth the shekels. As far as my view on the scent itself? Thumbs up, for sure.

Well if this is what Hugh Jackman likes, gotta be good. I got this in my collection as I am a fan of TF lines also. TF made this very clean and wearable at work. Longevity is fantastic and sillage is beast. I would use this in a board room setting with a spray or 2 at the most. This is not for a night out fragrance on the booze binge however more for a formal cocktail kinda a atmosphere. I have not smelt a scent like this in a designer. If you like something that does not smell like others than this is a good buy. Over spraying will cloy you and you will get irritated.